THIS week I have switched my focus from cricket to football.

Many of you may wonder what my background is in football, so here is a brief synopsis - I have been a part of a Triple Crown Vasco team and back-to-back North Village league championship teams.

In addition, I am a sports fanatic, so that constitutes the right to voice an intelligent opinion on just about any sport.

New national football team coach Keith Tucker has had a rough start, but have we really given him a chance?

When first hearing that Tucker had secured the national head coach position, I too had more than a few questions, one of which was, is he really the right the man for the job?

Personally, if we were going to choose a Bermudian, then Andrew Bascome would hands down be the man for the job, but we didn't go that route and so we have Tucker.

The only information that I have on Tucker's coaching ability is that he has spent many years at Howard, therefore I will not comment on that aspect. I am more concerned about the response that he has got from his players and his assistant at the time, Jack Castle.

When I read that players and his assistant coach were less than thrilled with the coach's new 4-5-1 system, I had to chuckle.

Why did I find this so funny, one may wonder? Well for starters I am of the opinion that too many players are not educated in their respective sport. Too many of our players play sports but do not study the sport that they play.

Players sit down weekends and watch international teams play, but I ask what do they really watch, what do they observe?

As we are speaking about football, a footballer should be looking at the formations that teams play, the runs players make, the players that play in their position and how the entire team execute the game plan.

For our national squad players (as they are the best in the Island) a 4-5-1 system should be easy to adapt to whether they agree with it or not.

What is it that they do not understand I ask?

Are they not quality footballers? Can they not adjust to change? Here we are in a World Cup qualification battle with Cayman Islands and we have issues such as this.

Can you imagine David Beckham telling Fabio Capello (England's new coach) I can not play in your 4-5-1 system because we have always played a 4-4-2? What do you think Capello would tell him? See you later!

I strongly feel the players have to give Tucker their full support and back him and his system 100 percent.

Let's face it, we have played various formations in the past and all have failed to get us to the promise land so why not try something different.

Once again, the common fact remains that we as Bermudians do not handle change very well, not until we see success from it anyway.

As Bermuda get ready for what will be a very competitive away game versus Cayman Islands, anything less then a victory could be detrimental and could possibly spell the end of our World Cup campaign.

If we can come together and play the type of football that we play week in and week out at club level, we should blow Cayman Islands away.

After a positive result against the Colorado Rapids last week our boys should be full of confidence.

Food for thought - last weekend I watched North Village blow PHC away 3-1. With so much on the line I was surprised that Village would go away from their normal 4-4-2 system to a 4-5-1 system.

It startled PHC to the point that every attack they had was broken down. So players, if we can make it work at club level then why can we not transfer it to the international level and make it work.

Making the jump from a domestic player to an international player is one of our biggest problems in both our national sports. To the national football team - big players, it is time to step up to the plate and make things happen when it counts the most. So who will shine for Bermuda against the Caymans and come from behind the cloud of being labelled a domestic player to a first class international player? We shall see!

My prediction for the World Cup game is Bermuda 3 Caymans 1

Motto for the week: Sometimes a player's greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role in the team - Scotty Pippen